Forum Topic

Is the NHS in dire straights, giving poor service?

Today I had an X-Ray on an infected finger, with a foreign body (metal) in it.  I was referred to A&E to have the object removed.  After four hours waiting and, then pressing to be seen I was greeted with rudeness, lack of information and stupidity from the triage nurse.  After stating that I wanted to make an official complaint, she asked a doctor to see me, who then said that he could not see anything wrong, until, I pointed out the offending object.  Oh it's to deep for us to deal with, you will have to go to a specialist plastics (hand) at the Royal Free....A joke or what?It should have been a simple job to remove the object.  Are they just wasting money or justifying outrageous consultant appointments?Why is it that there is not a hand plastics unit nearer than the Royal Free or the Kensington and Chelsea?  Of course it could be age related, your over 40, go away.  The hospital was not Hammersmith, but that one near Asda.Looks like I will have to make an appointment with the vet!

Nicola Howard ● 5427d34 Comments

Was it at the Central Middlesex?  I waited there for six hours after getting a piece of wood stuck through my thumb.  Eventually saw a dr just before 7pm who said it would have to be done surgically and that the theatres closed at 7pm; so I would have to go home with it still sticking out then come back (!) - or go somewhere else.  I begged him and he pulled it out after a bit - I wish I'd just done it myself.

Frances Ridgway ● 5427d

Here is the link on how to complain. Not sure how effective it is though.....http://www.nhs.uk/choiceintheNHS/Yourchoices/hospitalchoice/Pages/Hospitalcomplaints.aspx

Ellie Rose ● 5427d

Frances.You got it.To make a complaint against CMH, contact PALS on 0800 783 4372.  I got this information from NHS Direct 0845 4647.They told me to contact my GP first thing.  As I  know where the pin is, I am going to ask them to deal with it, if they can.

Nicola Howard ● 5427d

Central Middx is IMO the worst in the area. We went there when my daughter, then 1 accidentally swallowed a coin she found on the floor at my parents house. We were advised by GP to go to CM as they have a dedicated childrens A+E. The child was retching, vomitting water, clearly unwell and they kept us waiting from 3pm until 8pm before they decided to do an x ray and see that she did in fact have a 10p coin stuck in a hazardous position in her airway. It then took them until midnight to get us to gt ormond st, where the coin was extracted within half an hour of getting there. The 2 Drs at CM were newly from India and didn't even know where equipment was in the hospital, it took 2 of them several attempts to get a drip in at midnight. The whole thing was so traumatic and totally terrifying I don't think I will ever forget it. Never ever will I go there again, no matter what, Ealing hospital is a palace in comparison and the care is much better.

Milena Vincic ● 5427d

Central Middx is IMO the worst in the area.Totally agree.  If it's possible, I prefer to go to Charing Cross.  At least they have trained nurses on triage.  I have always been seen within half an hour by triage and, a doctor just as quick.Central Middlesex need to get their act together and, care for the elderly as well as the young.It may be a good idea to check the competence of foreign doctors and nurses.  Some of them are not up to standard.During a previous visit to A&E, I was seen by a doctor who claimed to be a surgeon but, was working in A&E being trained as a GP...strange!

Nicola Howard ● 5427d

Milena,that sounds dreadful! My husband was taken by ambulance to Central Mid at about 2am one morning. He had collapsed with excruiating sciatica. Given it was early in the morning there were only two patients in A and E. None the less, he had to wait five hours to be seen, all of it standing as he could not sit down. I had to beg painkillers from the staff. He was finally seen by a doctor who called in the consultant. I'm sure he was probably perfectly competent but he was Spanish and his English was so poor that he accompanied by an interpreter. We simply live in mortal fear of falling ill and having to go to hospital.

Jillian Stern ● 5427d

I didn't blame the 2 Dr's in fact despite my rising panic I felt desperately sorry for them, they had been well and truly dropped in at the deep end. There was nobody to help/supervise them, you could see the fear in their eyes because they knew it was serious and they knew what needed to be done, they just couldn't do it. I've never felt so helpless. Up until then other than being in hospital twice to give birth and the odd outpatients appointment I had always thought people were exaggerating about just how bad things had got. What I think shocked me the most was how badly children are treated and as a parent it has left me with the knowledge that I can't rely solely on a hospital to know what's best, you have to trust your gut and not be afraid to rely on it and to infoorm yourself as best you can because the very people you are trusting with your/your childs life, make more mistakes than they should. Clearly we are capable of excellence, the care at GOSH was excellent, so why can't we achieve those standards elsewhere?

Milena Vincic ● 5427d

We would never to Central Middlesex again after my husband was admitted. spent a week as an in-patient, sent home with asprin tablets. He had a further 43 outpatient appointments, finally told not to worry, go home and have a nice life! We were given the impression that they thought he was time wasting!He was later diagnosed by Hammersmith Hospital as requiring heart surgery after being sent there by a consultant at Charing Cross Hospital.This happened a number of years ago so it would seem nothing has changed.

Jean F Fernandez ● 5427d

Compare and contrast. My daughter was admitted as a blue light emergency to the Whittingdon Hospital in N.E. London. She was never seen by a doctor- the queues were too long. I had to take her home and get private medical treatment. She had developped a major heart problems and subsequently had to have two heart operations. While I was at the Whittingdon there was a little boy waiting for hours with a very bad cut to his face. He had not been seen when I left. I said to my husband wouldn't it be wonderful if his face could be stitched by someone with plastic surgery experience. Laughable, since the A and E was like a battlefield clearing station.Last year I was in France. One of our group fell and cut her face on the pavement.Within 3 minutes an ambulance was there and she was taken to the local hospital. The staff were most apologetic. Would Madam mind waiting forty minutes because they wanted to bring a plastic surgeon from the neighbouring town to do the delicate stitching so as not to leave a scar. Madam was quite happy to wait and left a very satisfied customerAll the group thought it was wonderful treatment. I had to tell them the hard truth. It wasn't wonderful. It was normal! That is what health care is like in some other parts of Europe.

Jillian Stern ● 5427d

Yes, I desperately wish there was a fixmyhospital website.

Philippa Bond ● 5427d

We've been dealing with them all year.Latest is the way the elderly are just sort of dumped out of hospital.  Drugs on the Patient's Medication card were for one drug THREE TIMES what it should have been.  Luckily we didn't follow those instructions.  This is a card written out by one qualified person and checked by another.  They should go through these with you before you leave hospital but they didn't. If you fall (because you've been in hospital for months and there hasn't been enough physio/help while you were in hospital to get you walking properly) then you have to call 999.  Luckily very luckily patient did not fall badly and did not end up back in hospital.  The Falls Service picked up from there and sorted out some of the things that the hospital should have done in the first place.It is a complete mess and muddle with little or no liaison and too many different departments pushing you from one budget to another.We have also spent too much time and energy crossing  the country to go to 3 minute Consultants' appointments where - there are no notes so didn't know what the operation entailed (didn't know that previous appointment had been postponed becaause of re-admittance to hospital despite hospital being told); we need to see you in hospital so we can see what is going on; or we don't need to see you again. You don't even know who you are seeing half the time.  It would be good to have a hand-shake and introduction from them - even if we then all have to use alcohol rub afterwards. I can say this because we have had a series of these appointments put off because of being in hospital which have now all arrived within a short amount of time. Hospital transport is needed for a lot of these visits when there are so many things which could have been sorted while actually IN hospital.

Philippa Bond ● 5426d

Just happened to see this today and thought would post it,  I am sure some of them are true and it's astounding.http://uk.health.lifestyle.yahoo.net/Inappropriate-use-of-accident-and-emergency-department.htmI have only had 1 experience of CMH A&E and they were fabulous,  really great actually,  very caring to me and their patient.  It was an emergency and they saved a close relatives life,  the ICU were good and as got to next ward was awful,  then elderly care ward not so good because just not enough nurses,  the Ward Sister was fabulous though.  But not enough nurses for the whole ward i.e. basics like helping to loo and eating.  Not much point putting a plate in front of someone if they cannot cut up the food themselves.  Fine if you have relatives visiting you but if you have no one........  I despair what it will be like for me when I am old!Years ago I attended there for some tests was told it would take a week for some of the results,  several days later I got a letter with an appointment to attend the hospital stamped URGENT,  I naturally was worried that results of tests were bad news. I went to the hospital woman at reception snapped at me that I was seen a few days ago WHY had I returned.  I showed her the letter and she proceeded to tell me off for wasting time,  obviously  the results were not ready.  I was too young to give her a piece of my mind!Generally I prefer Hammersmith Hospital.

Jen Morty ● 5425d

That's part of the problem though isn't it?  For those of us who don't go to hospital for years on end they are a very strange and unknown experience.  It is only later or when you visit regularly that you pick up on what is happening.  It really is Planet Hospital - not like the rest of our lives at all.

Philippa Bond ● 5425d

I caught a snippet of Question Time this evening and was surprised by some of the comments made during the discussion about that hospital in dire straits being run by a private company. According to one of the panel customer satisfaction with the NHS is at an all time high. Really??? And a radiographer in the audience who had worked both in the NHS and private sectors claimed that standards are much higher in the NHS. Not in my experience I have to say.

Milena Vincic ● 5425d

If the standards are higher in the NHS, why is it that the NHS are sending patients private and, we, the tax payer have to pick up the tab for it?  I would say that private is better but, again there is this ageism  factor.  It's a bit like pet insurance, the older the animal/person, the higher the premium.Now that a private company has taken over a Cambridge hospital, is this the start of privatization?  No money, no treatment!  The National Health Service is safe in our hands.  Who's hands?After making a few phone calls, there is a walk-in hand clinic at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.  Also there is a plastics (hand) at Charing Cross (GP referral.)

Nicola Howard ● 5425d

Labour were keen on reducing waiting list times for things like hip and knee replacements so allowed trusts to buy in services from private hospitals. In Hammersmith the former Royal Masonic hospital did a booming trade for a while until the money ran out.....But there there many happy customers..... Now we are back to long waiting times as the new government has done away with targets, we are back at the mercy of budgets.

Iain Muir ● 5425d

Budgets?  Get rid of the fat-cat management who are not doctors or consultants and put the money into staff training and, employing trained nurses who were taught manners and, that the patient deserves respect.  That would be money well spent.  There are to many agency staff working in the hospitals, who really don't care. The only thing they care about is the extra money they get for a shift,  Yet another reason to pay permanent staff a better wage, then we may get the service we pay for.  Everything now is degree based, unlike the old days when nurses were trained to be SRN's, taught by nurse tutors and, were not afraid to get their hands dirty.  Ever since this degree fiasco the standards within the NHS have slipped.  Bring back the old ways.Don't talk to me, I'm wearing a tabard but, you have given me the wrong medicine.  Don't talk to me I'm wearing a tabard!!!!  We never used to have these sort of problems.  What's gone wrong?

Nicola Howard ● 5425d

Central Middlesex Hospital closes at night, as from tonight, due to the lack of staff to cover the department.

Nicola Howard ● 5421d

Correction.It's the A+E that is closing at night.

Nicola Howard ● 5421d

See what happens when you all wish *really* hard on this forum?

Andy Heeps ● 5421d

Don't think the wish was *really* hard, the A+E is open during the day.Where are all the drunks going to go?  Hammersmith only has a small A&E.  Mind you, there is always St Mary's.Still, never mind, Acton nick has a custom built custody suite, as long as they get charged for B&B.

Nicola Howard ● 5421d

Perhaps the time has come to take a look at who is actually using the NHS service, and if in fact, they are in receipt of a valid National Insurance number!I am aware that in some cases it is cheaper to buy an airline ticket and present yourself at any NH hospital and obtain critical care treatment free of charge (which is often long term)!

Dee Cook ● 5421d

Deeyou put.  I am aware that in some cases it is cheaper to buy an airline ticket and present yourself at any NH hospital and obtain critical care treatment free of charge (which is often long term)!The biggest culprits are the Americans.

Nicola Howard ● 5420d

My recently retired friend said the NHS should be called the International Health Service because that what was happening in her High Dependency Unit onan almost daily basis!By the time the hosital staff realised that some people were not entitled to treatment they already had it!I agree with Nicola said - get rid of the overpaid Management for a start. Bring back Matron. We need trained nurses and dedicated staff!Very worring to hear about the A&E services being axed.

Jean F Fernandez ● 5420d

Jean.I can remember the days when the Matron was the most feared person.  Even the most revered consultants used to quake in their boots and, nurses so terrified they could hardly speak.Bed corners not at 45 deg, remake ALL the beds.On a point of ward cleanliness, bring back the white glove.  Contracting-out was a big mistake.  I can remember that as an in-patient in CMH, the cleaners never moved or cleaned under the bed(s).  Nor did they clean behind lockers. There was a coloured girl on the ward who would clean the on-ward toilet, as it was beneath the cleaners. No wonder there are so many hospital contracted diseases that can either hamper recovery or worse still, kill you.

Nicola Howard ● 5420d

My friend had the role of 'Housekeeper' at her hospital and I can tell you she was very strict even with the most senior staff if they came in her ward without cleaning hands, and they would not dare use a mobile phone in her ward!It is these sorts of standards that help keep infection to a minimum, not the shoddy standards we seem to have in some hospitals nowadays. Poorly paid cleaners are hardly going to be that bothered!

Jean F Fernandez ● 5420d

Nicola, "There was a coloured girl on the ward who would clean the on-ward toilet, as it was beneath the cleaners." eer.....what century are you in? Black is the word to use if the person was black as opposed to white.... The other points (and Jean's) re bring back Matron do suggest a dream memory of the past and halcyon days when all summers were sunny......Two years ago when my late wife was in the Hammersmith ward cleanliness was almost obsessive, with the contract cleaners under regular supervision by both Hospital and Contract management. Antiseptic gel at all entrance points and bold posters urging visitors to clean hands. OK a one off example but a piece of evidence against your vague generalisations. Iain

Iain Muir ● 5420d

Some hospitals are much better than others!

Jean F Fernandez ● 5420d

Iain.Imperial College, Hammersmith Hospitals are a different kettle of fish, no gripes there.  The comments were I think you will find were directed at CMH.  New re-built hospital, poor standards in A+E.  The ward I was referring to was Roundwood 3, where I spent eleven days (never again.)

Nicola Howard ● 5420d

My doctor thinks the management and say half the consultants at Ealing are not so wonderful but the other consultants very good. So how do you find out except by word of mouth who is good and who is not?Going to hospital reminds me of roulette which is partly why it is so scary. But in fact my few experiences at Ealing have been generally good.It is easy to find fault and indeed I have done so. But I am still alive and kicking. Perhaps I have been lucky or perhaps they are not so bad after all.Totally mad to shut down any A&E. Has no one told them that the population has increased and is predicted to increase further?

George Knox ● 5420d

Yet another U turn by the clueless coallition..... http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/nov/17/nhs-waiting-list-rise-uturn

Iain Muir ● 5418d

Iain.What would the pathetic clueless Labour do?

Nicola Howard ● 5418d

An in-depth survey needs to be carried out as to whom is receiving treatment in NH establishments.I suspect that both parties don't want to know because it will expose illegal abuse of the service, so huge, which they will be incapble of dealing with.

Dee Cook ● 5418d

Nicola, Labour did a lot to improve the NHS when in power, increasing resources, building lots of new hospitals and greatly reducing waiting lists. If in power now they would not be selling the NHS off to likes of facilities management companies and big pharma. Tke a look at http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/joepublic/2011/nov/09/why-reforms-nhs-essence-disappearingIain

Iain Muir ● 5418d